I-League 2024-25: Inter Kashi claim stunning win over Gokulam Kerala in five-goal thriller

Inter Kashi sit at the third spot in the I-League table.

Inter Kashi climbed high in the points table with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Gokulam Kerala FC in the I-League 2024-25 match at the Kalyani Stadium on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The teams were locked 1-1 at halftime.

The win took Inter Kashi to 21 points from 12 matches, one point behind leaders Churchill Brothers. Namdhari FC, too, have 21 points, though they have played a match less than Inter Kashi. Gokulam Kerala FC remain on 19 points from 12 matches.

While Domingo Berlanga scored twice (43’, 65’) for Inter Kashi, Nikola Stojanovic (73’) found the third goal from a penalty. Abhijith K (40’) and Sinisa Stanisavic (74’) scored for Gokulam.

⚔️🟠 @InterKashi shine bright at home with a victory over @GokulamKeralaFC 🟢#ILeague #KSHIGKFC #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/M7sePNlmnk

— I-League (@ILeague_aiff) February 1, 2025

The victory was also a sweet revenge for Inter Kashi. Only a week ago, they travelled to Kozhikode for the away game against Gokulam and returned thoroughly hammered by a 2-6 margin. On Saturday, Inter Kashi extracted their pound of flesh, but it didn’t come too easily.

The closing stages of the first half were action-packed. Despite the dominance displayed by the home side, Gokulam Kerala took the lead somewhat against the run of play in the 40th minute.

Spanish midfielder Ignacio Abeledo, a clever operator always, sent a measured floater inside the box from the right that left Inter Kashi goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya in two minds. Finally, he decided to come out, but it was too late as Abhijith K neatly headed the ball in.

Inter Kashi’s response was quick and through a header only in the 43rd minute. A not-too-necessary foul by Gokulam on the right saw Serbian midfielder Nikola Stojanovic take a dipping free kick that eluded the defenders to find Domingo Berlanga. The Spanish striker flicked a header that had Gokulam custodian Loitongbam Bishorjit Singh beaten all ends up.

Inter Kashi were not ready to relent and sit back after restoring parity. They began the second half strongly and took the lead in the 65th minute with Berlanga once again finding the net. This time his job was made simple by Edmund Lalrindika, who did all the spadework on the right before dispatching it for Berlanga to the needful.

The Spanish was truly on fire during this period. On the verge of a hat-trick, he was proving to be a real danger for the Gokulam defence every time he touched the ball. A few minutes after the second goal, he made his way into the box with quick and smooth dribbling, and Gokulam defender Athul Unnikrishnan brought him down. Stojanovic stepped in to take a powerful penalty that crashed into the net.

But then, the drama was not yet over. Gokulam reduced the margin in the 74th minute when Abhijith’s shot was parried away by Arindam. The ball fell to Montenegro striker Sinisa Stanisavic, who found an open goal in front of him. He made no mistake.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.